Echo and Bifrost cables: Advancing connectivity

  • We announce two major new subsea cables connecting Singapore, Indonesia and North America.
  • These will be the first transpacific cables on a new, diverse route to cross the Java Sea, and total transpacific capacity will be increased by 70 percent.

We strive to bring more people online to faster internet. As part of this effort, we are proud to announce that we have worked with leading regional and global partners to build two new subsea cables – Echo and Bifrost – that will create important new connections between the Asia Pacific region and North America. While these projects are still subject to regulatory approvals, once completed, these cables will provide much-needed internet capacity, redundancy, and reliability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for reliable internet access around the world. The internet has made it possible for people around the world to stay connected, educate themselves, take care of their health, and be productive. In the Asia-Pacific region in particular, the demand for 4G, 5G and broadband access is growing rapidly. Echo and Bifrost will support the continued growth of hundreds of millions of people and millions of businesses. We know economies thrive when there is a generally accessible Internet for people and businesses.

Not only will Echo and Bifrost be the first transpacific cables on a new, diverse route to cross the Java Sea, but they will also increase total transpacific capacity by 70 percent. These cable investments connect Singapore, Indonesia and North America and reflect our commitment to openness and our innovative partnership model, where we work with a variety of leading Indonesian and global partners to ensure that all benefit from the development of scale infrastructure and shared technology expertise. We are delighted to be working with partners such as Indonesian companies Telin and XL Axiata and Singapore-based Keppel on these projects.

Indonesia

These investments offer the opportunity to improve connectivity in the central and east Indonesian provinces and to increase the capacity and reliability of the Indonesian international data information infrastructure. Echo and Bifrost complement today’s submarine cables for Indonesia, increasing the quality of service and supporting the country’s connectivity requirements. All of this is part of our ongoing effort to work with partners in Indonesia to expand broadband internet access and reduce connectivity costs. For example we Partnership with Alita, an Indonesian telecommunications network provider to provide 3,000 kilometers of underground fiber optic in 20 cities in Bali, Java, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. In addition, we are improving connectivity by expanding Wi-Fi with Express Wi-Fi.

Singapore

Building on our previously announced Data center in Singapore Investments, Echo and Bifrost will provide critical, diverse underwater capabilities to strengthen Singapore’s hub for digital growth and connectivity. We look forward to building on our other projects associated with Singapore, including APG and SJC-2. Many of our regional teams are also based in Singapore.

The Asia-Pacific region is very important to us. As part of our work to bring more people online to a faster internet, these new projects complement ours fundamental regional investments in infrastructure and partnerships to improve connectivity to close the digital divide and strengthen the economy.

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